6/6/10 – Chiba (Home)

The Swallows displayed more of their newly found fighting spirit as they came from behind to beat the team that had humiliated them just two weeks before. That 20-4 loss proved to be Tokyo’s rock bottom and the straw that broke Takada’s back, so today’s victory not only displayed how much has changed since that dark afternoon in Chiba, but also sent their opponents to their season’s first three game losing streak.

Ueda (LF)

Tanaka (2B)

Aoki (CF)

Guiel (RF)

Takeuchi (1B)

Aikawa (C)

Miyamoto (3B)

Fujimoto (SS)

Yoshinori (P)

Lotte starter Shunsuke Watanabe kept the birds quiet over the first 5 innings giving up just two hits, while Yoshinori allowed 1 run in the 3rd and 2 in the 5th to put the Marines ahead 3-0.

Yoshinori’s shift ended after a decent enough 6 innings, having given up the 3 runs (2 earned) off 5 hits with 9 strikeouts and 5 walks. He wouldn’t figure in the final decision and his record is now at 1-5/5.14.

Tokyo finally got on the board in the bottom of the 6th, with Fukuchi (in for Yoshinori) reaching base on a walk before he was brought home one out later from second by a Hiroyasu Tanaka single. 3-1 Chiba.

Masubuchi worked a 1,2,3 top the 7th before the Swallows roared (or should that be chirped) their way back into the game in the bottom of the inning.

A Miyamoto single and a Fujimoto double put two men in scoring position with one out. That was it for Watanabe, as Itoh took the mound in relief. He struck out Fukuchi for out number two before pinch-hitting Hatakeyama poked one through the middle to make it 3-2 and leave men on the corners for Tanaka. He hit the ball over the fence in right for his second long shot of the year and it was 5-3 Tokyo.

Matsuoka (1.19) made easy work of the top of the 8th and then Aikawa hit his third homer in as many games in the bottom of the same inning to extend the lead to 6-3 Tokyo.

With Lim making his return from injury to close out the game in the 9th that was all she wrote, 6-3 Tokyo Final.

Masubuchi took the win in relief as his record moved to 1-2/1.80 and he seems to have truly found his calling as an effective middle reliever.

Lim earned his first save since May 1st’s victory against Yokohama which puts his record at 0-1-7/1.26.

Tokyo outhit the Marines 9-6 with Tanaka bringing home 4 of the team’s 6 runs.

The two teams will meet for the final time this year tomorrow evening at Jingu.

David is a baseball bothering Brummie who spends a fair portion of his life fretting over the Tokyo Swallows and the WORLD’S GREATEST FOOTBALL TEAM, Aston Villa. He completes the quartet of abusive sporting relationships by being a die hard New York Knicks and Mets fan. You can find him on twitter: @yakulto

Tanaka was certainly dicked around by Takada, especially early on in his tenure as “manager”, and there were even rumours going around the Jingu bleachers that he may be traded at one point.

As for Aikawa, though Takada was the one who brought him here he was often replaced in the latter part of games, and often by a pinch hitter in key situations, showing that the former manager had little faith in his first choice catcher with the bat. Thus his improved performances under Ogawa could, in some part, be attributed to the new regime. Ogawa has shown faith in him by moving him out of his perennial no.8 slot and that faith is being rewarded. Long may the good form continue!

And yes, great win indeed!

zunlin

Great Win, especially looking back at that horrible 4 – 20, wit Aikawa is becoming a monster at the plate….Tanaka had the lesser batting avg with men on scoring position; now he's going to be better